


gravity (pulls me close to you)

by ironicpotential



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Astronauts, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Sanvers Secret Valentine 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 05:19:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17781314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicpotential/pseuds/ironicpotential
Summary: She knows she shouldn’t be nervous— she had a job offer from NASA before she even graduated from Stanford. She has given numerous lectures and mission briefs without a problem, but this one… this one is different. It’s personal for her in a way that none of her other projects have been.





	gravity (pulls me close to you)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kelinswriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelinswriter/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you like it!

**August 2030: Six months to launch**

She wipes her palms on the front of her slacks as the rustling of the crowd filters back through the curtains.

The International Space Station’s Vivarium Project began twenty years ago— not in a lab at NASA— but at the kitchen table of her family’s house in Midvale, California. It was her father’s brainchild, and her best memories of him feature him pouring over schematics, as she sits on the floor with her stuffed otter and a coloring book, just listening to him mumble about hydroponics.

Now she’s waiting in the wings of the auditorium at NASA Headquarters, ready to unveil the project to the world.

She knows she shouldn’t be nervous— she had a job offer from NASA before she even graduated from Stanford. She has given numerous lectures and mission briefs without a problem, but this one… this one is different. It’s personal for her in a way that none of her other projects have been.

The Vivarium was the setting for the stories her father would read her every night before bed. It was her Hogwarts, her Middle Earth. While most kids her age played pretend as knights or police officers, she would dream about rovers and robotic arms.

The Mission Director is at the podium now, his voice rumbling through a brief welcome to the crowd.

Her father should be here for this.

He should be the one standing up at the podium, hair flecked with grey and  eyes sparkling with glee, as he presents the crowning achievement of his career. Instead, he’s six feet under, a victim of a deadly hit and run only days after her fourteenth birthday.

Finally her name is called and she’s greeted with polite applause as she approaches the front of the auditorium.

She takes a deep breath. The idea may have been her father’s initially, but she has dedicated her career to getting the project off the ground. The Vivarium is hers now. She can do this.

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

“Thank you, John.” Alex nods over at the Mission Director, his kind smile helping to ground her in this moment. Her moment. “When we landed on the Moon in 1969, it wasn’t the end of one mission, but the beginning of so many more. Here at NASA, we have been continuously striving to expand our knowledge of our universe every day through our boundless curiosity and cutting-edge technology. Long-term space travel isn’t just a concept anymore, but a quickly approaching reality that we must prepare for. That’s why I’m pleased to present our most recent innovation.”

She pauses and a hush settles around the room. The slide behind her changes to a conceptual image of interlocking domes and tunnels filled with lush greenery.

“The Vivarium Project.”

The crowd remains silent. They’ve all seen these schematics before. They’re old, created by her father when the project was just an idea swirling around in his brain. This announcement isn’t for her coworkers filling the room, or the spattering of reporters, it’s for the public— the people who are streaming this broadcast from their phones or computers.

“A fully self-sustaining environment in space, the Vivarium would provide the food, water, and atmosphere needed for humans to survive manned missions to Mars.” Her hands are still trembling, but it’s not nerves. It’s excitement. “One year ago, in an international effort, the Krypton I Team docked with the International Space Station to deliver the Vivarium Module.

A wave of curiosity rushes over the crowd. She can see the question in their eyes, but she waits. She waits until the tension is palpable, until the excitement that she feels bubbling up is reflected on their faces.

“I can now announce that the installation of this expansion was a success. The Vivarium is fully-operational.”

The announcement receives a standing ovation and while Alex has never personally had the pleasure of experiencing a space-walk, she’s pretty sure this is what it feels like to be weightless.

~

After the brief, she’s ushered into a meeting room by the Mission Director.

“Dr. Danvers, I’d like to introduce you to the Krypton II Team,” he says, “They’re here to receive their briefing on the particulars of the mission. I thought you might like to run them through the operations of the Vivarium personally.”

“Of course.” Alex takes a seat at the table next to John and turns to the two astronauts on the other side.

“Major Tom Philips.” The tall, sandy haired young man grins at her from across the table. “European Space Agency. Looking forward to working with you.”

She doesn’t recognize him, but she absolutely remembers the woman sitting next to him. She’s almost certain she could never forget her.

During the development of the Vivarium, Alex had spent a lot of time at the Advanced Environmental Simulator. The precursor the the actualized Vivarium, the AES served as a place to perform physical simulations of how the closed environment of the Vivarium would function, as well as to mimic the conditions of space for agricultural studies. When her office became too stuffy or there was a calculation that just wasn’t making sense, she would venture down to the simulator just to remind herself of what she was working towards.

It wasn’t unusual to find scientists in the AES as they were constantly running various experiments, but she had never expected to find an astronaut kneeling on the ground next to a series of small plants resting on a low table. She had watched for a few moments as the woman carefully trimmed the branches of a small tree in a blue pot.

“They’re delicate, you know,” The woman had said, “Each type needs a specific type of soil and the pot needs to be the right size if you want it to flourish.”

“Um… what?”

“Bonsai trees.” The woman had stood, pulling off her gloves. “They require a lot of attention. Proper watering, proper trimming and environment… but all of the hard work results in something really beautiful.”

Alex had to agree— the bonsai in the blue pot _was_ beautiful— and she couldn’t help but notice that even though there was dirt smudged across her cheeks, the woman was quite attractive as well.

“I’m Colonel Maggie Sawyer.” The astronaut had grinned as she shook Alex’s hand, the dimples on her cheeks becoming more pronounced. “Botanist.”

That same smile is reflected at her across the table now and Alex feels her face heating up under the attention, just as it had all those months ago when Maggie had beckoned her to kneel beside her to teach her about bonsais. She had been struck by her patience and passion for gardening, and her credentials certainly make her qualified.

If Maggie Sawyer is assigned to the project, Alex has the utmost faith in their success.  

 

**September 2030: Five months to launch**

“We’ve just received the latest report from the Krypton I team.” Mission Director Jones paces at the front of the conference room. He’s normally stone-faced, but the tension in his jaw tells Maggie that this mission update won’t be good news.

“The Vivarium’s Oxygen Filtration System malfunctioned at 0300 hours this morning.” He pulls up the specs on the holo-screen. “The good news is, the Krypton I team was not inside when this malfunction occurred; however, if this problem cannot be fixed, any further experiments will have to be postponed.”

Maggie’s jaw tightens. The Vivarium might one day be able to produce its own oxygen through plants, but while experiments are being run, she and Tom would be reliant on the life support system. There are things that she could live without in space: whiskey, tiramisu, even her favorite organic shampoo, but she definitely can’t survive without air.

“As the Krypton II Team will be completing the entirety of their mission from within the Vivarium, at this time, unless we can determine the root of this issue, we will have to postpone the launch.” John clasps his arms behind his back. “We will reconvene next week. Dismissed.”

The support team shuffles out of the room, looking as dejected as Maggie feels. Even Tom, who she has never seen without a smile, is looking grim. She doesn’t blame him, they’ve both worked so hard to get to where they are. The two years she spent in training as an astronaut candidate were grueling, not to mention her prior time spent as a test pilot. This mission was her chance to touch the stars.

Alex lingers behind, even as the rest of the science team trudges off.

“I’m sorry, Colonel,” she says. “There shouldn’t have been an issue, I’ve gone over all of my schematics—”

“It’s not your fault,” Maggie interrupts, hoping her smile looks convincing, “Things are different in space. That’s why the Krypton I team went up first. Troubleshooting.”

Alex looks unconvinced. “It’s more than troubleshooting. It’s not like a computer where you can just turn it off and then on again. It’s a complex web of interconnected systems that…” Alex trails off. She bites her lip, seemingly deep in thought, then nods sharply. “I’ll figure it out, I promise you that.”

She spins abruptly on her heel and is out the door before Maggie can get another word in.

~

Maggie doesn’t see her again until the next mission brief, one week later. Alex looks to be in good spirits, despite the dark circles under her eyes, and she hopes that bodes well for the outcome of their mission. She doesn’t want to have come so far only to have missed her chance.

Luckily for Maggie, Alex has nothing but good news. It’s not a simple solution by any means, and while she knows that Alex is a genius— she’s read some of her published work— reading about it and seeing it in action are completely different things.

After the meeting, she jogs to catch up with Alex on her way back to her lab. “I’m really impressed, Danvers. That’s some fix.”

“Oh, it was really nothing.”

Maggie shakes her head. “Nope I’m serious. You’re helping us stay safe up there.”

“It’s my job.”

Alex shrugs off the compliment again and Maggie wonders if she ever gets the praise she deserves.

“Still, you single handedly saved the mission. I think that deserves a reward.”

Alex looks at her curiously, forehead crinkled, like she’s a puzzle she can't quite solve. “What did you have in mind?”

“How about I meet you in your office in an hour with a surprise?”

Alex’s eyes widen and for a minute, Maggie thinks she might decline, but to her delight, Alex accepts, pointing her in the direction of her office.

An hour later, Maggie knocks on Alex’s office door, a six pack of beer and a takeaway pizza in hand. Alex takes one look at the beer and laughs, beckoning Maggie inside. “Please excuse the mess.”

Maggie shakes her head. “Oh no, it’s really cool.”

Her office is really more of a lab, packed to the brim with high-tech gadgets and holographic projections. The number of screens in the small room could almost rival Mission Control. She walks along the far wall, taking in the various blueprints for projects she has never seen. Then, in the middle of it all is a large model of the Vivarium. The physical, old-school model should have stuck out like a sore thumb among the technology littering the room, but it didn’t. It felt like it belonged there.

“It’s still work hours, you know,” Alex says, even as she’s opening two bottles with a keychain.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” Maggie gives her a wink and holds her bottle up to Alex for a toast. “Thanks again, by the way. I know they would have just put me on another mission, but I was really looking forward to this one.”

“Always wanted to be an astronaut, Sawyer?”

Maggie chuckles. “Actually no. I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do when I was a kid. I knew I liked science, and I was good at it, but I also really wanted to serve my community. To do something good. Came down to a coin flip believe it or not.”

Alex smiles. “A coin flip landed you at NASA.”

“A coin flip landed me in the Air Force, then NASA. But you know, in another life, I could have been a cop.”

“Well I’m glad you’re here and not walking the beat.”

Maggie can’t help the warmth that rushes through her body at Alex’s admission. She’s felt an attraction to the scientist since their first meeting. Alex was the first person who had actually been interested in what she had to say about her bonsai trees. Even though her own degree wasn’t in botany, Alex had held her own in conversation and they had found themselves talking until the sun went down.

While they’ve had a handful of conversations since then, she’s never gotten much of a hint that Alex felt the same until today. The fact that Alex enjoys her company is one point in her favor at least.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah it’s… nice to have someone else around. Um. Another woman. A scientist. A woman scientist I mean.”

Maggie softens. That’s a sentiment she knows well. For all the strides humanity has made towards equality in the workplace, women are still sorely outnumbered in their chosen fields.

“Gets pretty lonely.”

“It does.”

Alex is quiet for a moment. “I don’t really leave my office much.”

Her gaze drifts towards the Vivarium model, and Maggie follows.

“I’ve been working on this since high school in some form or another.” Alex sets her beer down on her desk and circles the model.

“The Vivarium?”

Alex nods. “The holograms are fine— great for running tests and solving any issues with the computer systems— but it’s just… not the same. I like to be able to see the problem. Work it out with my hands, you know?”

Maggie runs her fingers along the top of one of the plastic domes. It’s extremely detailed, featuring not only the greenhouse sections with miniature plants, but tiny replicas of the living quarters, complete with furniture. “You must be pretty good with your hands, because this is amazing.”

They’re standing closer together now, the pizza and beer long forgotten.

Alex blushes, clearing her throat. “Well, I _was_ able to solve the problem with the life support systems…”

“You’re absolutely brilliant.” Maggie can feel Alex’s breath, they’re so close. She watches as Alex’s gaze flickers down to her lips and her heart leaps. Maybe this is it.

All she has to do is lean in and kiss her—

But suddenly Alex is backing away, panic in her eyes, as she mumbles through several different reasons for needing to leave.

She’s out the door before Maggie even knows what had happened.

 

**October 2030: Four months to launch**

Alex knocks on the apartment door repeatedly.

Her sister assured her that she was home, but she’s not answering and if there were any time that Alex needed to talk to her, it would be now.

She goes to knock again right as the door opens to reveal her sister, dressed in pajamas, hair still wrapped in a towel.

“Sorry, sorry! I was in the shower.” Kara waves her inside. “When you suggested we have a sister night, I didn’t think it was an emergency.”

Alex worries her lip between her teeth. “I know, I just. I’m really stressed. I need this.”

“So you brought two pints of ice cream then?”

Alex holds up the grocery bag, which Kara gleefully accepts, heading to the kitchen for some spoons. “Rocky road _and_ cookie dough? You _are_ stressed.”

Alex flops down on her sister’s couch, sinking bonelessly into the cushions. “Launch is in four months and we’re absolutely not ready.”

“I thought you said you got that thing fixed?” Kara sits down next to Alex and hands her a spoon.

“I did and everything has been running smoothly for the team up there now, but I just…” She spoons some ice cream into her mouth. “What if something else happens? What if it malfunctions again while my team is up there?”

“Your team?”

“The- the second team.” Alex scrambles to cover her slip-up.

“ _Ah ha!_ ”

“Oh no, don’t give me that look.”

“This is about _Maggie_ isn’t it?” Kara waggles her eyebrows and Alex rolls her eyes, groaning.

“Why did I tell you about that?”

“You have to talk to her, Alex!” Kara stresses, waving her spoon around. “She tried to kiss you—”

“—And I ran away, you don’t need to remind me. I don’t need to revisit that.”

That moment already haunts her day in and day out.

Alex didn’t really have a lot of experience in dating. She had a girlfriend in college, but it lasted all of three months before the woman decided that she spent too much time in her dorm studying. Maggie was the first person she’d ever really been interested in. Maggie knew how important this project was, and she didn’t roll her eyes whenever Alex went on tangents about irrigation systems. She’d eagerly join in and suggest improvements.

Alex wants desperately to kiss Maggie— to be with her— but she just can’t. She has a job to do. She has to make sure that the Vivarium is a success; she owes it to her father to finish what he started. She’s already under so much pressure to make sure that everything goes well, it would be irresponsible of her to pursue a relationship with Maggie so soon before the launch.

But still, the image of Maggie standing alone in her office remains seared into her brain. She regretted it the minute the door closed.

Kara seems to sense the conflict within her, because she pulls Alex into a hug. “You really like her, don’t you?”

“I do.” Alex mumbles into her little sister’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t, but I do.”

“Call her, Alex. She’ll understand if you explain.”

“I know, it’s just…” Alex exhales. “The timing. She leaves for the ISS in four months and then she’ll be gone for six.”

“Will you regret not going after her if something happens to her while she’s up there?”

It’s a horrifying thought but she knows Kara is right. She could spend all her time locked up in her lab trying to make sure everything goes perfectly with the Vivarium, but something could still happen during the launch. They may have incredibly advanced technology and their accidents rate may be incredibly low, but it’s not zero. Space travel is still incredibly dangerous, and all of the astronauts know this when they sign up.

Life is short. They all know that.

So when Kara gets up to get them both a glass of wine, Alex dials Maggie’s number and asks for another chance.

 

**December 2030: Two months to launch**

They decide to take it slow, even though they don’t have much time. There’s no labels, no expectations, but Maggie doesn’t mind.

She’s just happy to be with Alex as much as she can in the few short weeks before the launch. When Maggie isn’t preparing for the launch on her own, going over liftoff procedures or mission protocols, she’s in Alex’s office keeping her company. Sometimes they chat, but most of the time they just sit in amiable silence and work.

Tonight though, Maggie is on a mission.

When she gets to Alex’s office, she finds the other woman leaning over her computer console, frowning and muttering to herself. With a wave of her hand, Alex pulls up a holographic screen, quickly cycling through a series of reports from Krypton I. Her eyes skitter across the data, scanning for something Maggie can’t ascertain. She jots down a few notes, rubbing tiredly at the bridge of her nose.

Maggie isn’t sure how long Alex has been at it, but judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she’s definitely due for a break.

She knocks softly on the doorframe. “Hey, you.”

Alex startles, but her posture relaxes when she catches sight of Maggie. “Maggie, hi! I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“No, I’m happy to see you.” Alex says, “There’s only so long I can stare at these reports.”

“Something wrong?”

“No, no everything seems to be working just fine…” she trails off, thoughtful. “It’s just weird. It’s finally happening after all this time.”

Maggie watches as Alex circles the Vivarium model in the center of the room once again. It’s lit up this time, reminding Maggie a bit of the Christmas village she used to see in the window of the grocery store in Blue Springs when she was a kid. It’s strange to think that in just a few weeks, she’ll be living in a larger version of the model.

“I really wanted to make it a home away from home.” Alex presses a small button on the side of the table where the model rests and the top of the Habitation Dome retracts. Each tiny bunk has a privacy curtain, and there’s even a small communications area with a couch and a vidscreen, a stark contrast from the laboratory areas of the Vivarium. But even those are a soft, inviting blue, rather than the clinical white she would expect from the old science fiction movies she used to watch.

Maggie follows the covered hallways away from the Habitation Zone and the labs to the Plant Habitat and marvels at how Alex has managed to adapt the small controlled environments currently in use on the ISS into something that resembles an actual greenhouse. It’s a remarkable bit of engineering, and she tells Alex as much.

Alex face turns wistful. She’s standing right beside Maggie, but she’s a million miles away. “There’s always something I could do to improve it.”

“No, really this is amazing.” Maggie runs a comforting hand over Alex’s arm. “ _You_ are amazing. A self-sustaining environment like this could have been cold and boring, clinical even, but you’ve taken that concept and turned it into something _beautiful_.”

The soft humming of the various machines in the office fills the space between them and the seed of hope that was planted when Alex called her to ask for another chance stirs within her chest. They’ve been dancing around this this for weeks, orbiting each other, but never taking that last step.

Maggie’s moves her hand to cup Alex’s cheek and Alex shivers, but doesn’t pull away.

She knows that Alex wants this. Wants her. She heard it in her voice as Alex told her about feeling the pressure of living up to her father’s legacy, has felt it in the way that Alex looks at her like she holds all of the secrets of the universe– a look of wonder that Maggie has only ever seen when she’s pouring over her model.

One of them just needs to take that last leap into the unknown.

Maggie closes the distance between them. The kiss is short, but it takes her breath away, and when Alex pulls her back in, she sees stars. She’s not sure how long they stand like that in front of the Vivarium model, exchanging soft, slow kisses, but she knows she doesn’t want to ever stop.

Alex’s stomach has a different idea though, growling loudly, breaking the spell. Maggie leans her forehead against Alex’s and chuckles. “Hungry?”

Alex smiles sheepishly, her nose scrunching up as she does. “Yes, sorry, I think I skipped lunch.”

“Well, you know what I’ve been really wanting before I leave Earth?” Maggie pulls back, taking both of Alex’s hands in her own. “A really greasy burger, a beer, and a date with a gorgeous woman. How does that sound?”

Alex doesn’t answer, just grabs her bag and tugs Maggie by the hand out of the office and towards the parking lot.

 

**February 2031: T-minus 16 hours to launch**

Alex rushes around the kitchen, checking tasks off of her mental list. The lasagna is in the oven, there’s tiramisu in the fridge, and she remembered to grab a bottle of Maggie’s favorite wine from the store. She knows she doesn’t have anything to worry about— she and Maggie have been out on multiple dates— but tonight is special.

It’s their last night together. In the morning, Maggie will board a rocket that will take her to the ISS, where she’ll spend six months in space, living in the Vivarium— a human test subject in everything but the name.

Maggie deserves to have the perfect last night.

A knock on the door signals Maggie’s arrival and Alex takes a moment to remind herself to breathe. She smooths down imaginary wrinkles in her shirt before opening the door and beckoning her date inside.

She’s not sure how it’s possible, but Maggie has grown more beautiful since she last saw her. She’s traded her customary business casual work wardrobe for a leather jacket and sinfully tight jeans and if Alex weren’t one hundred percent sure she was gay before, this would be a pretty convincing sight. Instead of flowers, she’s holding a small potted plant.

_The bonsai tree._

It’s grown since the last time she saw it.

“Each type needs a specific type of soil and the pot needs to be the right size if you want it to flourish,” she recites.

Maggie smiles. “You remembered.”

Alex nods, her cheeks flushed. Even if she didn’t have a photographic memory, that was a conversation she could never forget. “You’re giving it to me?”

“Well, I won’t be able to take it with me.”

Alex’s heart flutters as she takes the offered plant. It really is beautiful, with its curved branches and carefully trimmed leaves. The amount of work that Maggie has put into its care is astonishing. It’s not just a gift, it’s a show of trust.

Dinner is light and easy, filled with conversation about anything and everything, and with each new fact she learns about Maggie, her feelings for the other woman grow. Maggie’s eyes never leave her, even as she leaves the table to take their plates to the kitchen.

They gravitate closer throughout the evening, moving to the living room to cuddle up on the couch as they kiss between feeding each other bites of tiramisu. This is an intimacy that Alex has never enjoyed with anyone else and there’s comfort in the silence they share. Eventually their kisses turn heated and Alex feels as if every nerve in her body is alive. Her rational mind knows that the elation she feels when Maggie’s body is pressed to hers is due to the dopamine and oxytocin being released, but she can’t help but feel like there’s some kind of magic between them.

Maggie’s breath is hot on her neck and suddenly it’s too much and not enough. Alex needs more of Maggie and when she pulls back to see that Maggie’s eyes are dark and dilated, she knows that the feeling is mutual.

“Do you—” Maggie isn’t even halfway through her sentence before Alex is tugging her towards her bedroom.

Alex’s fingertips shake as they fumble with the buttons on Maggie’s shirt. There’s no rush, they have all night, but Alex needs to feel Maggie’s bare skin against hers. Her hands are talented, her touches heated, and Alex feels like she’s floating as Maggie worships her.

They lie entwined afterwards, bathed in moonlight, both sweaty and satiated. Maggie traces constellations on Alex’s freckled skin and Alex can’t help but smile. They’ve reached the edge of the universe together, forming a bond stronger than Alex has ever felt with anyone.

~

The sight of Maggie Sawyer, in _her_ kitchen, making _her_ coffee is one that Alex never wants to forget. She’s humming softly as she dances around, swaying her hips to a beat only she can hear. She knows that Maggie’s good mood is probably due to the fact that in just a few short hours, she’ll be living her dream of going to space, but she hopes that maybe spending the night together might have had some contribution.

She saunters into the kitchen, winding her arms around Maggie’s waist, enjoying the way Maggie feels against her. She kisses the back of her neck, right where the collar of her shirt meets skin. “You’re wearing my t-shirt.”

Maggie sighs happily, setting down the coffee pot and turning to face Alex. She’s still smiling, but there’s a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. “Is that alright?”

“More than alright.” She leans forward to peck Maggie on the lips. “Looks better on you.”

“Well, then maybe I’ll have to take it with me.” Maggie gives her a wink and pulls away, handing her a cup of coffee. Cream and a pinch of sugar, just the way it’s always prepared when Maggie visits Alex at work. “You’ve got my bonsai now; I’d like something to remember you by.”

The reality that Maggie is leaving is a pin in the little domestic bubble they’ve created for themselves.

“So, this is it then,” Alex says, her heart heavy. Even though Maggie is still standing with her in her kitchen, she feels the loss of her keenly. She hasn’t cried in a long, long time— not since the death of her father— but she feels the lump in her throat forming. Even the warmth of the coffee doesn’t provide any comfort. It just tastes stale.

“Well… six months is a long time to wait for another date…” Maggie’s eyes are cast downward. She looks as upset as Alex feels. Alex sets her mug down and cups Maggie’s face, letting her thumbs rub over worried dimples. The kiss they share is bittersweet, but in that moment Alex knows that she doesn’t want it to be their last.

“I’ll wait for you, Maggie,” she mumbles against her lips, “Just come back safe.”

 

**April 2031: Sixty days aboard the ISS**

Being in space is everything she ever dreamed of.

When she was just starting her training as an astronaut, her mentors always talked about how they were never able to appreciate the beauty of the Earth until they saw it from above, and now that Maggie is up there, looking at her home planet from the transparent dome of the Vivarium, she knows what they mean. The view is absolutely second to none.

Although, she has to admit, the Vivarium itself certainly gives it a run for its money. The model in Alex’s office didn’t hold a candle to the real thing. It didn’t feel like she was stuck in a sardine can. It was spacious and quiet, at least when Tom wasn’t blasting his music to _encourage the plants to grow_ , and she definitely could imagine living there for longer than six months.

All of the systems were running perfectly, and some of the plants that the Krypton I team had started were already beginning to bear fruit. She can’t wait to send their most recent report to Alex and the rest of the science team.

They video call almost every day.

At first it was only for business. Alex would ask about the systems and Maggie would fill her in on the progress of her experiments. But as the days went on, their calls became longer and they’d talk about anything and everything. Alex would slip in an anecdote about time spent with her little sister and Maggie would share stories of growing up in Nebraska.

The only time they ever came close to talking about _them_ was when they discussed the bonsai. Maggie knew that as long as Alex cared for it, and it grew and flourished, so would they. But they both knew that every time Alex asked if she missed “Gertrude” she was really asking if Maggie missed her.

She does. She misses Alex more than she ever thought possible. She’s only a third of the way through her mission and she’s already forgetting what Alex’s touch felt like. That one night they spent together was magic, but it only left her wanting more time.

That night, Maggie sits on one of the couches facing the outside of the dome. She’d just gotten off of a video call where Alex trimmed the leaves of the bonsai per Maggie’s careful instruction, and for the first time since stepping into the Vivarium, she wishes she were back on Earth.

The couch dips as Tom comes to sit next to her. “Homesick?”

When she doesn’t answer, he continues, “It’s funny, I couldn’t wait to get off that rock. But now that I’m here, all I can think about is the chippy by my flat.”

She chuckles at that. He’s got a point. She never really had someplace that she called home on Earth. That’s probably why it was so easy for her to choose her career path. Sure she had friends, coworkers that she enjoyed grabbing a drink with, but no one that would miss her while she was away. No one that _she_ would miss.

But then there was Alex. Beautiful, brilliant, wonderful Alex whose handiwork surrounds Maggie constantly and whose smile helps her get through each lonely day in space.

She couldn’t stop thinking about her. Alex breathed life into the Vivarium, and touches of her were everywhere.

“You really miss her don’t you?” Tom says quietly, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder. The Vivarium may be spacious but there’s still little room to hide one’s feelings. He’s seen her fingers brush the vidscreen fondly after she and Alex end the call and has teased her about her terrestrial girlfriend, despite her protests that she still didn’t know if that’s what they were.

She leans into his embrace and stares out into space.

“I miss her more than anything.”

 

**August 2031: Minutes to landing**

Alex nervously paces around mission control. The headset she’s wearing is buzzing with activity, but she can’t process any of it. It’s just white noise.

Today is the day.

It has been six long months but finally today Maggie returns to Earth.

She shouldn’t even be here, but the Mission Director was a friend of her father and gave her special permission. She’s not even sure how he knew about her and Maggie, but she’s thankful nonetheless.

She glances up at the array of monitors at the front of the room. Data flickers by faster than her brain is able to process at the moment and she shakes her head to clear her thoughts. She’s not worried about the landing, she has the utmost faith in her colleagues’ ability to bring the shuttle’s crew back to Earth safely.

It’s just been so much time…

Suddenly silence falls over mission control. There’s a few tense moments where the only sound in the room is the low hum of technology, then a cheer rings out and everyone is clapping and shaking hands. Finally Alex is able to exhale. 

Successful landing.

John places a hand on her shoulder and smiles as she sighs in relief. “Would you like to come welcome her home?”

Alex nods shakily, and follows him towards the decontamination bay. She will have to wait a short amount of time for Maggie to be checked over by the medical systems, but soon they’ll be face to face again.

They may have spent hours talking to each other while Maggie was living in the Vivarium, but Alex can’t help those small tendrils of anxiety taking hold of her. She knows how she feels about Maggie. She wants to be with her. Wants to wake up with her every morning and fall asleep next to her each night. But what if Maggie doesn’t feel the same anymore?

The door to the decontamination bay slides open and Maggie’s entire face lights up when she sees Alex waiting for her. Spurred on by the reaction, Alex runs to her and any doubt that had still lingered falls away as Maggie pulls her in for a desperate kiss, one they’ve both waited six long months for.

When they finally come up for air, Maggie is looking at her so tenderly that Alex feels as if her heart might burst. For so long, Alex had walked on Earth feeling like a piece of herself was missing, but now that Maggie is here, solid and warm in her arms, she feels like she is home.

“This almost doesn’t feel real,” she whispers, her forehead resting against Maggie’s, afraid to open her eyes, lest this be just a dream.

Maggie reaches up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek with her thumb. “I know what you mean. I keep thinking that I’ll wake up any second now and I’ll be back in the Vivarium listening to Tom complaining about missing football.”

They both share a chuckle that turns somber.

“So… what comes next?” Alex asks.

She’s almost afraid of the answer. She knows Maggie probably wants to settle in, change into some fresh clothes, maybe even take a proper bath, but she isn't ready to say goodbye again so soon.

She looks back up at Maggie, finding the same insecurity reflected on her face.

“Well, I haven’t really had a good meal in a while…” Maggie starts tentatively, “so I thought perhaps my girlfriend might want to go out for lunch?”

“Your girlfriend,” Alex repeats, half in awe, “I’m your girlfriend.”

Her smile is so wide she can feel her cheeks ache. Alex knows they’ve been practically dating the entire time Maggie was gone, but this is the first time they’ve ever acknowledged it outright and it feels _amazing._  She’s so happy she can’t keep the words from tumbling out.

“I love you, Maggie.”

She doesn’t even have time to panic about whether she’s said it too early, because Maggie is pulling her in for another kiss, mumbling against her lips, “I love you too.”

Maggie doesn’t let go of her hand the entire walk back to Alex’s car, happily chattering about how she can’t wait for Alex to taste her favorite tiramisu. But by the time they pull out of the parking lot, Maggie has fallen asleep against the window of the passenger seat. Alex doesn’t mind though. She’ll pick up some takeout on the way back to her apartment. They’ve got all the time in the world now.


End file.
